Notes from the Road

It’s been over a week since I announced my little blogging break, a week that I’ve been away from home. First, two days visiting friends in the small city near our old island home, then two days visiting our son’s family in a larger island city.

In that city, we drove onto a ferry we’ve never taken before and enjoyed a ride that would have been quite scenic were it not for the marine fog hugging the water. . . Driving off the ferry, we headed down the Olympic Peninsula, another first, surprisingly, for both of us — a beautiful drive through rural, seaside, and forested landscapes where the tourists and summer vacationers were taking advantage of the last weeks of warm, sunny weather.  I suspect it all becomes much greyer and much quieter as the leaves and the rains begin to fall.  . .

Stopped at a Roadhouse on the way down, tummies grumbling by 1:30, and the place looked promising. He ordered a burger, and I liked the sound of a basket of oysters and baked fries. We sat patiently enough at first, chatting about the drive, about the last days’ visits. By quarter to, we were a bit restless, but still inclined to wait, but when twenty-five minutes had passed, it seemed like a good idea to check on our order. “Oh yeah, it’s coming,” said the cheery, if flip, young serve. “But those oysters take a while to cook.” uh-oh. . . .

But since Sunday evening, we’ve been in Portland, Oregon, where I can assure you there is much good food.  During the day, he has meetings, and I’m revelling in the quiet of the hotel room. Knitting, reading, thinking, writing. Fitting in some workouts in the gym. Doing a bit of shopping. Wandering with my camera. And I even met an Instagram friend for coffee this morning — such a good chat we had about creativity and the beauty of grey hair and life after, well, after a certain age.

And so far, we’ve had great meals each evening — a week of date nights. He’s back in an hour or so, and we’ll stroll back to the restaurant that delighted us on Sunday evening — a few menu items we still need to check out. I just wanted to wave a hello to you first. I’m hoping to resume regular blogging next week, although I may be making a few adjustments to the schedule. This Friday, though, I’m going to post a teaser for the Garden Visit we’ll be making together on Monday. This garden comes with a great story, a battle of good against evil (I might be exaggerating, but just a wee bit. You’ll see πŸ˜‰

29 Comments

  1. Elizabeth at Eiffel Tells
    28 September 2017 / 1:19 am

    This is what life should be about when one is 60+. I'm looking forward to seeing the garden after Monday's visit. xxx

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:00 am

      I know you'll enjoy this garden, Elizabeth!

  2. Aspiring physician
    28 September 2017 / 1:33 am

    Nice to hear from you. You sound very relaxed, which is lovely. xox.

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:01 am

      Thanks, AP, I've wound right down. πŸ˜‰

  3. Patricia
    28 September 2017 / 2:25 am

    Were they prairie oysters??

    This sounds like a lovely, relaxing trip for you, enjoy!

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:01 am

      Hahaha! That made me snort my tea!

  4. Elle
    28 September 2017 / 6:42 am

    On a trip around the Olympic Peninsula a couple of years ago, one of our group took a fall as we were about to enter a restaurant–perhaps in the same tactfully nameless town. The emergency medical folks who arrived told us, sotto voce, that we certainly did not want to eat in that restaurant anyway, and that the best food in town was at the hospital cafeteria! They took the injured party, and the rest of us followed along, and had the recommended hospital lunch while waiting for our pal to be stitched up. I'm glad you've found good food–and more–in Portland.

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:02 am

      Oh dear! When the best food in town is at the hospital cafeteria, that's not good. Thanks for the chuckle!

  5. Anonymous
    28 September 2017 / 7:14 am

    That sounds a good trip & I can visualize your journey . We made our first fly drive trip to the US almost thirty years ago & the Olympic peninsular taught us a valuable lesson . As chief map reader , I decided the ferry from Seattle & driving round the peninsular back to Seattle would be a good first day for us . It was lovely of course but I hadn't checked the mileage & America is BIG . Half way round Hubbie asked was it much further & I had to break it to him that we still had over 300 miles to go . I think we did 650 miles that day , with jet lag too . We could have checked in a motel somewhere , but had no overnight stuff with us & we were young , so we carried on . It was a wonderful day though .
    Looking forward to our next garden .
    Wendy – in Scotland just now

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:03 am

      That's a very long drive, Wendy, especially on the wrong side of the road, jet-lagged, in a rental vehicle. Yikes! But it's a beautiful drive, isn't it!
      And I promise the next garden post will not disappoint.

  6. Leslie in Oregon
    28 September 2017 / 7:45 am

    It's lovely imagining you here in Portland! I hope you enjoyed this 86Β° day (we've had a lot of them, and many hot days, recently). Tomorrow, which is supposed to reach 83Β°, I'm going to interrupt tax work to take a boat ride on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers and enjoy a swim and dog play on a beach on the Columbia. I wish I had known you were going to be here…did I miss a mention in posts I've not yet read during the tax work press? How about a boat ride and/or walk on a Forest Park trail next time you visit Portland?? Have fun (and be sure to get up to the newly-reopened Japanese Garden), Leslie

    • dottoressa
      28 September 2017 / 12:57 pm

      I am so jealous for the swimming πŸ™‚
      Sincerely-hope that you'll have a lot of days like this!
      Dottoressa

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:07 am

      No, you didn't miss a mention. It's been busy at home, the last while, and I haven't been blogging with as much energy. This trip is very low-key, and I'm spending more time than usual in the hotel room, writing, reading, knitting, savouring the quiet which has been very hard to come by at home this year. I'd love to meet up next visit and walk a Forest Park trail. And I'll have to get to that Japanese Garden some day as well. Enjoy your boat ride — will the water really be warm enough for swimming?!

  7. Coastal Ripples
    28 September 2017 / 8:56 am

    The Olympic Peninsula sounds like a lovely route to take, particularly at this time of year when it’s not too touristy. I smiled at your Oyster moment. How many times have I ordered in a restaurant and the meal wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Pot luck is the expression that comes to mind. Enjoy the rest of your visit;it sounds very pleasant. B x

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:08 am

      Pot luck — sometimes yes! As long as we don't pay too dearly for it. Luckily, all the other eating here as been very good. πŸ˜‰ Thanks, B

  8. dottoressa
    28 September 2017 / 12:54 pm

    Your road (and the sea,as well:-)) trip sounds great to me!
    Enjoy!
    Dottoressa

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:09 am

      Driving any coast, right?

  9. High Heels in the Wilderness
    28 September 2017 / 2:20 pm

    Sounds heavenly, Frances. Driving, eating, reading, wandering… and some alone time. Perfect.

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:09 am

      Sometimes we don't realize how fast we've been going until we slow right down, right? πŸ˜‰

  10. Marsha
    28 September 2017 / 5:52 pm

    "A week of date nights" – I had never thought of it before, but yes, that is another benefit of traveling. Even though I enjoy cooking, and miss it when we travel, I don't miss the time-related issues of serving courses, leaping up and down to adjust temperatures, and possibly forgetting the thing I put in the refrigerator to chill, not to mention keeping the meal in the back of my mind all day so that I use up what needs using up, thaw what needs thawing, and make do with what I have instead of going out to buy something else. So nice to wander in, choose the right thing for just that moment, wander out and be able to leave the dishes behind, then go on to wherever your fancy takes you.

    • materfamilias
      29 September 2017 / 12:13 am

      I enjoy cooking as well, and enjoy even more having a husband who does most of ours ;-), and honestly, I like having more control over what we eat (I tend to miss vegetables while travelling). But sitting at a restaurant table for a meal means time together while others look after everything but the conversation — and so the conversation, I find, becomes more important, more thoughtful. We've been enjoying dinners that last ninety minutes to two hours, some very good time for re-connecting. And, as you say, then we can leave the dishes behind. . .

  11. Anonymous
    29 September 2017 / 8:12 pm

    I love that drive down from Port Angeles as I had relatives who lived in Poulsbo. True test of being a local was how to pronounce Sequim. Hint it is not like Sequin. I am glad you two are having such a lovely time. Next week is week 5; you know what I mean! Brenda.

    • materfamilias
      2 October 2017 / 5:41 pm

      It's a great drive — we'd definitely go that route again.
      So if I want to pass a local, it's accent on the second syllable?
      And finally — your last Week 5! Hoorah! You won't miss those, if my experience is any indication. . . but take care this time through. They take a toll, those weeks…

    • Anonymous
      2 October 2017 / 10:52 pm

      No it is Squim, one syllable.

    • materfamilias
      3 October 2017 / 3:53 pm

      Ah, okay. I'll remember for next time we're through that way πŸ˜‰

  12. Mardel
    30 September 2017 / 12:53 am

    How wonderfully content you sound. And I too love that idea of a week of date nights, such an apt description, and a reminder that we often need those times out of normal schedules to reconnect on a level that sometimes, unintentionally, gets short shrift.

    • materfamilias
      2 October 2017 / 5:42 pm

      Yes. I have to admit that in our day-to-days at home, too many dinners are either eaten in front of, or followed too quickly by, a Netflix screen. . .

  13. Maggie
    30 September 2017 / 10:55 pm

    What a great road trip! Glad you're back.

    • materfamilias
      2 October 2017 / 5:42 pm

      Thanks.

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